State v. Robert Goodwin(074352)

A jury found defendant Robert Goodwin guilty of second-degree insurance fraud, N.J.S.A. 2C:21-4.6. In doing so, the jury necessarily concluded that defendant knowingly made or caused to be made false statements of material fact concerning an insurance claim for damage to his girlfriend’s sport utility vehicle (SUV). The heart of the State’s case was that defendant falsely reported the theft of his girlfriend’s vehicle, which was found severely damaged as the result of arson. The insurance company discovered the lie during an investigation when defendant recanted his earlier story that his…